Free Dog And Puppy Games Taking Steps Towards Virtual Reality

Posted by admin on Jun 17th, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments

Some of us may have already noticed the surge in free dog and puppy games available to play online. Arcade websites have been featuring all sorts of dog games portraying puppies and dogs as the main characters in the adventure. Their popularity has grown to such an extent, that a simple search in Google for the term dog games will return over fifty million results. The themes in these games vary from veterinarian clinics, pet care center and fashion salons, where children can play dress up games with their favorite pet. However, a special kind of theme sets itself apart, while catching the eye of technology enthusiasts like me. A new concept in free dog games places the player in control of a virtual room or house, with the sole objective of caring for the dog or puppy inside.

Free dog games in which the player’s only objective is to care for the pet are called pet caring games. The player starts off in a virtual room, inside a house, with a list of actions and items at his disposal. For example, he would need to click on the bowl, and place it somewhere in the floor in order to feed the dog. Other actions include voice commands in the form of praise or reprimand, pretty much the same way they are used by dog trainers. To help gamers get the ball rolling, there is usually an icon in the corner of the screen advising on the situation and making recommendations for actions to take. For example, the image may alert you that the dog is hungry, or thirsty. You might also be advised of the animal’s wrong doing, and that he needs to be corrected.

In any event, these online free dog games aim to encourage children and adults alike into getting their feet wet in terms of caring for a dog at home. In the same way young, want to be mothers take a doll home that can scream, cry and mess their pants, these virtual dog games attempt to do the same thing for a pet at home. Thus, the use of virtual reality is essential. The better the realism aspect of the game is, the more entertaining it will be for gamers. Nowadays, we are only enjoying the rudimentary stages of virtual reality, as it is being used in free dog games online. The use of detailed graphics as a tool is very helpful. Background artwork and character images can be made to look very real. Although most of the 3D artwork and high resolution graphics are limited to console versions, ever increasing Internet speeds and processor prices are sure to bring some improvement to the home Internet user.

Sound scores also add realism to free dog games online. With the use of stereo speakers hooked up to your computer, you are sure to hear a real dog barking while playing the game. All these features which add realism to dog games are only in the beginning stages. However, in dog caring games the only way to improve on the experience of game play is by adding realism, and with new technology advances being implemented day by day, we are sure to see improvements in this area as well.

Play free dog games online at Doggames123.com. Play dog and puppy games like “Puppy Fetch” and other dog games for fun.

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Johnny Oops Steps Into A Virtual Reality World

Posted by admin on Jun 12th, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments

Please feel free to use this article as long as credit is given to the resource box.

© Copyright Arthur Levine, 2010

Wor425

It had been a long painful time in the making, but Johnny finally discovered that he could no longer live in the now. He was being pushed inexorably into a new virtual reality world of the future. Not a world of his making, but delivered all shiny and new by some Game Master who must have populated this new world with people to entertain him and keep him from the boredom that only a superior intellect could understand.

Johnny could only speculate on who this superior intelligence was or how he or she could construct a whole world in the blink of an eye and a flash of comprehension by one of the populous that things had changed, and the world he had thought he knew all his life was not as it had ever been.

“How could this have happened? Where was I all this time? How could I not know?” Johnny said out loud, but no one was listening. “Was it ever thus? Am I just some bit player in someone else’s game – a mere puppet to satisfy some deity’s fancy? Am I nothing but a fiction,” Johnny said out loud again?

This time some one was listening. Johnny heard a roar in his ear as if a trumpet was blaring, “How dare you? If not for me, you would not exist. If not for me you would have no cognitive thought. Without my blessing you would be nothing.”

Fear came over Johnny and he started to shake as the question formed on his lips, “Who are you?”

Then there was thunder and lightning. Johnny felt a giant hand on my shoulder, but wasn’t weighted down. He was relieved and felt a wonderful sense of calm come over him. And he heard a soft voice saying, “You know me. You know my virtue. Do not be afraid. Step lightly, and with joy in your heart into our new world for I have built it for your enlightenment. I have brought you forth into a new reality so that you may learn to believe in that which is beyond your comprehension to understand, but you are free to move into whatever sense of reality holds the most promise in your mind’s eye, for I am the ultimate Game Master, and I gave you the ability to have independent thought. It’s up to you to decide how to play the game, What ever world or reality you chose to live in, I will always be with you.”

*****

Hi, this is Arthur Levine the author of the novel Johnny Oops. To see what Johnny’s doing please join us at http://johnnyoops.blogspot.com.

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How to Leverage Virtual Reality Worlds – Online Marketing Expert

Posted by admin on Jun 7th, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments

Virtual Reality worlds are gaining popularity, and will continue to do so. They can easily be applied to business activities, and can save your company tons of money! Lets look at the advantages and disadvantages of jumping on the virtual train.

 

Advantages:

 

•             No location barriers

 

•             Demonstrate products in real time

 

•             Awesome user experiences with massive interaction

 

•             The ability to get in touch with peoples’ emotions

 

•             Ability to capture market share before everyone else does

 

•             Another sales channel

 

Disadvantages:

 

•             Not every company will benefit from marketing its products and services in these virtual worlds.  If you’re a very small company and you intend on staying small, this is not a great space to play in.  If you’re very locally targeted in your marketing, this will also pose to be a challenge. Don’t expect millions of people to be on these spaces within 20 minutes of your house or office. (But it doesn’t hurt to test it out first though, right?  This is cutting-edge technology, and you won’t know if it doesn’t work until you try!)

 

•             It is expensive to build advanced platforms. (So start with the easier-to-use sites that require little to no cash outlay for startup. )

 

•             Expect longer lead times. (1-4 months)When executed correctly, you should be able to cut down your lead times.)

 

There are so many different ways to leverage virtual-reality worlds. Check these out:

 

•             Hosting meetings/events: Large virtual gatherings are the fastest growing trend in the 3-D space.  Why is there even a need to fly anywhere anymore?

 

•             Sales calls with prospects: Why not have your prospect visit your virtual space and chat in a much more informal, yet interactive setting?  The content sticks much more than traditional call, and seems much more like an actual meeting, rather than a phone meeting.

 

•             Branding: People are flying around these portals, so why not have a virtual storefront to brand your products and services?

 

•             Product launches: Many people and businesses have announced product launches over TV, radio and even with a press release. Announce a product release in your virtual world to the masses!

 

•             Demonstrations of your product or service: Videos are a great way to show a product demonstration, but a live virtual demo is much more powerful (and two-way). Think about how many Snuggies or Sham Wows you could sell in a virtual space!

 

•             Digital product sales: E-Commerce is a huge part of the virtual worlds across the Net. Many of the visitors are prospects browsing for products and services. You might as well have something ready to sell them!

 

•             Education/Seminars: Teleseminars and webinars are big business. Let’s take these events to a whole different level!

 

•             Training employees/contractors: Instead of flying people in from around the world, host employee training in your secure virtual space.

 

•             Live entertainment: Bands, artists, musicians; think of the potential!

 

•             Charity auctions: Events go over well in the various virtual communities. Try an auction raising money for your favorite charity.

 

•             Company communication: Instead of only using  just plain chat, spice it up with one of the 3-D chats

 

Full Article Resource:

Online Marketing Expert, Michael Tasner is an in-demand, dynamic keynote speaker on internet marketing, social media marketing expert and business Strategy.Now is the time to hire internet marketing guru Michael to speak at your next conference.

 

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Virtual Reality Medical Education in Second Life

Increasing numbers of people are using the Internet for the provision of all sorts of health services, from prescribing, through consulting to setting up automated self-treatment programs. But what about using it for education and therapy? After all, in theory, the ultimate form of cognitive behavioral therapy should be “virtual reality therapy.” By simply wearing your wrap-around sound and vision multimedia headset you can be instantly transported to a cliff edge, soar in a plane thousands of feet above the ground or be surrounded by a gathering of thousands of spiders – depending on your phobia. And the ultimate form of online education should be fully interactive, case based and student driven, all of which I now use in my teaching in Second Life.

The phrase “virtual reality” was coined by Jaron Lanier in 1989 to describe computer simulations of physical environments. Since the mid-1990s, the video game industry and 3D graphics card manufacturers have driven forward the state of personal computer graphics, advancing it far beyond the needs of most business users. These systems range in capability from simple displays of 3D objects to entire virtual cities. Virtual reality systems are now being routinely implemented on personal computers for a variety of activities. One of the most popular virtual reality programs is Second Life, produced by Linden Lab, Inc. Second Life is a general-purpose virtual world accessible through any Internet-connected personal computer. In order to interact in Second Life, users create “avatars”, or animated characters, to represent themselves. Individuals use these avatars to maneuver through various “worlds”, complete with buildings, geographical features, and other avatars. While the system borrows heavily from video game technology, it is not a game – there are no points, no levels, no missions, and nothing to win. It is simply a platform by which people can create virtual communities, model geological, meteorological, or behavioral phenomena, or rehearse events. I have been working in Second Life for several years now.

Users of Second Life include a variety of education organizations, from Harvard Law School to the American Cancer Society. There are currently areas of the virtual world that provide such disparate services as teaching heart sounds and auscultation technique, providing social support for individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome, and modeling the effects of tsunami on coastal towns. The system has over 10 million account holders from all over the world, most of them with free basic accounts. Approximately 800,000 of those users are active, with over 80,000 of them connected to the system at any time. Virtual reality programs such as Second Life are increasingly being used for educational purposes in a variety of fields, including medical training and disaster preparedness. Linden Lab currently operates the Second Life Education Wiki which functions as a source of information for educators and trainers in a variety of fields who wish to use Second Life for distance learning or large-scale training purposes. A number of government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation, have begun using Second Life to hold meetings, conduct training sessions, and explore ways to make access to information more readily available around the world. A recent comprehensive survey intended to gather information on the activities, attitudes, and interests of educators active in Second Life conducted by New Media Consortium reported that the majority used it for educational purposes such as teaching and taking classes as well as for faculty training and development.

I have been using Second Life as a teaching and learning environment for several years now. With colleagues I have created a “virtual hallucinations” environment, which demonstrates the lived experience of psychosis and allows participants who travel through the environment to experience both visual and auditory hallucinations; visions and voices. We used this environment to teach this experience to our medical and psychology students. With the California Department of Health and other colleagues I have created a virtual bioterrorism crisis clinic to train health workers, and more recently, as part of our Health Informatics Certificate Program, with University of California Davis Extension, we have taught informatics students in a virtual conference center on our own private island; Davis Island. Students find the environment straightforward to learn to navigate, and within a week of our informatics students being introduced to the environment they were able to travel and tour around Second Life with the rest of us with ease.

Second Life and similar multi-user environments offer enormous possibilities in the medical educational world, where such applications are now called “serious games” rather than social or fun software. Students of the future will adapt to them very easily, and it is clear that applications such as Second Life have a great educational future before them. I look forward to continuing to teach classes of medical and graduate students “inworld”.

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Virtual Reality in Medicine – many evolving uses and advantages

Virtual reality techniques, involving three-dimensional imaging and surround sound, are increasingly being used in diagnosis, treatment, and medical education. Initial applications of virtual reality in medicine involved visualization of the complex data sets generated by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. A recent application of these techniques for diagnostic purposes has been the “virtual colonoscopy,” in which data from a contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scan is used to make a “fly-through” of the colon. Radiologists then use this fly-through for colon cancer screening. Recent improvements in methodology have brought the sensitivity and specificity of this technique closer to the levels of optical colonoscopy, and patients prefer the technique to the traditional method.

Virtual reality has also been used extensively to treat phobias (such as a fear of heights, flying and spiders) and post-traumatic stress disorder. This type of therapy has been shown to be effective in the academic setting, and several commercial entities now offer it to patients. In one of my projects using the multi-user virtual reality environment offered by Second Life, one of several easily available online virtual reality environments, we have used a virtual psychosis environment to teach medical students about the auditory and visual hallucinations suffered by patients with schizophrenia.

Virtual reality has been used to provide medical education about healthcare responses to emergencies such as earthquakes, plane crashes and fires. While the primary advantage in phobia treatment is a “safe environment” which patients can explore, the primary advantage in emergency preparedness is simulation of events that are either too rare or too dangerous for effective real-world training. The immersive nature of the virtual reality experience helps to recreate the sense of urgency or panic associated with these events.

Virtual reality programs have also been used for a variety of medical emergency, mass casualty, and disaster response training sessions for medical and public health professionals. One study developed a protocol for training physicians to treat victims of chemical-origin mass casualties as well as victims of biological agents using simulated patients. Although it was found that using standardized patients for such training was more realistic, the computer-based simulations afforded a number of advantages over the live training. These included increased cost effectiveness, the opportunity to conduct the same training sessions over and over to improve skills, and the ability to use “just-in-time” learning techniques and experience the training session at any time and location, while adjusting the type and level of expertise required to use the training for various emergency response professionals. Others have explored the potential for training emergency responders for major health emergencies using virtual reality. Their objective was to increase exposure to life-like emergency situations to improve decision-making and performance and reduce psychological distress in a real health emergency.

Experience with recent natural disasters and terrorist acts has shown that good communication and coordination between responders is vital to an effective response. In my work using Second Life to develop a virtual mass disaster emergency clinic to hand out antibiotics to the population following a massive anthrax bioterrorism attack, we have found a number of important advantages of the virtual world, over the real world, for training first responders.

Responders to such events come from many different organizations, including fire, police, military, and hospital personnel. There are three major difficulties in training and evaluating these first responders in the real world:
1. They have little or no chance to train together before the event occurs and hence lack teamwork skills.
2. What training they may have had comes at great cost, in large part due to the effort and need to transport so many people to a specific training site at a specific time.
3. The training sites frequently cannot be the most common targets – for example, one cannot shut down the Golden Gate Bridge during rush hour to train for an earthquake or terror scenario.

Virtual reality offers some intriguing advantages over the real world for these aspects of first responder training, as all of the above difficulties can be overcome. Virtual reality systems can support multiple simultaneous users, each connecting to the system using standard office personal computers and broadband Internet access. Lifelike models of buildings, roads, bridges, and other natural and man-made structures where the users can interact can be constructed. Finally, the whole scenario can be digitally preserved and a full workflow analysis can be performed retrospectively. Public health officials and first-responders can work through the scenarios as many times as they like to familiarize themselves with the workflow and emergency protocols, without encumbering the time and expense of organizing a mock emergency in real life.

Virtual Reality treatments are rapidly becoming more available. They are currently being used to treat post-traumatic stress disorders caused by wartime experiences, and US servicemen are now increasingly being offered such programs. Rather than the traditional method of confronting old nightmares, online technology is able to deliver treatment in a far more therapeutic and humane way. Patients are “transported” to the battlefront and fears and traumas are resolved in virtual place and real time. Virtual Reality is here to stay, and will increasingly be used widely in a number of areas of healthcare.

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